Hasp fastener for trunks, boxes, and the like



April 12, 1938.

H. F. BAERFUSS HASP FASTENER FOR TRUNKS, BOXES, AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. 29, 1956 @razyas 12 6 Patented Apr. 12, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Hector Fridolin Baerfuss, Thun, Switzerland Application January 29, 1936, Serial No. 61,359 In Austria June 1'7, 1935 1 Claim.

The present invention is a hasp fastening for trunks, boxes and the like and its object is to provide a simple, cheap and safe locking device adapted to be sealed if needed and not easily damaged when the trunk is handled.

A constructional form of the invention is described and shown in the accompanying drawing.

Fig. 1 'is a plan view of the fastening.

Fig. 2 is a side View of the fastening.

Fig. 3 is a side view of the movable hinge.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a fastening plate.

. 5 is a side view of a fastening plate.

Fig. 6 is a section on line AB of Fig. 2.

. 7 is a spring with crossed arms.

Fig. 7a. is a side view thereof.

. 8 is a spring with parallel arms.

. 8a. is a side view thereof.

. 9 is a view of a transport box.

The movable hinge strip I is hinged by means of a pin 2 to a fast strip 3. On the inside of the movable hinge strip I a shoulder stud 4 having a conical head 5 is fixed and besides a flat spring I2 attached at one end and standing off from the plate I with the other end. Two plates 6 and I set apart at a certain distance from each other and held together to form a pocket are sunk into the front side of the trunk and inside of this pocket a U shaped spring having the ends of its legs projecting to the outside of the pocket is held in position by a pin 8. This spring bears with its two arms against a stop pin I9 which keeps said arms separated from each other in close proximity of round openings I 0 provided in plates 6 and I. When closing the hinge strip the head 5 is pressed against the two arms of the U-shaped spring 9 the latter are spread apart, snap in behind the shoulder I I of the head 5 fixing thereby the movable hinge strip I and locking up the box. On the inside of the fastening strip a spring I2 is fixed. The free ends I3 of arms of the spring 9 are extended into a recess provided in the trunk wall outside of the base plate 1, loops I6 being provided in said ends, which will register when the trunk is closed with a loop I4 formed by the rolled up end of the movable strip- I.

The opening of the trunk is effected by pressing the ends I3 of the spring 9 together to release the head 5. In this moment the hinge strip I is repelled by the spring I2 of the hinge strip I so that a self acting opening of the fastening takes place.

When closing the trunk the head 5 .of the stud 4 of the movable strip I is introduced into the hole Ill of plate 6 and pressed down until the arms of spring 9 have snapped together behind head 5. The trunk is thenv locked and may be sealed by a cord having a lead attached thereto as sealing means I5 drawn through the loops l4, I6 to obtain the required security against an illicit opening.

The fastening according to the present invention may be called a safety fastening. The locking members are sealed directly, but the locking does not depend on the seal. Being sunk into a recess of the wall of the trunk and being hidden r by the hasp the locking members will not suffer from handling during transport and the opening can always be effected without any tools.

Applicant is well aware that U shaped springs or spring controlled clamps closing upon a headed stud have already been used before and were released either by hand or by a pressure upon certain parts of the structure. Applicant does not claim such mechanism as such, but the combination of a particular form of such a spring with 25 a hasp fastening for trunks and with means to protect the same against rough handling during transport.

What I claim is;

In a hasp fastener for trunks, boxes and the 30 like of the kind having a. hinge strip the movable member of which may be locked by spring arms embracing a shouldered head and in combination, the movable member of the hinge strip having a loop formed at its extreme end for sealing 35 purposes and a stud provided with a conical and shouldered head fixed to the inside of said member, a pocket formed of two plates held at a distance from each other, with holes in said plates to receive said stud and struck into the 40 front wall of the trunk, a pivot inserted between said plates and a V shaped spring held by said pivot and arranged to embrace said stud with its legs which extend to the outside of the pocket to permit being gripped when opening the hasp, and a stop pin between the plates and between the legs of said spring to keep the legs of the latter separated to permit introducing the conical head of said stud, all substantially as described. 50

HECTOR FRIDOLIN BAERFUSS. 

